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More than 15,000 factories flourished in New England up until the 1980s, but the appetite for innovation receded incrementally. Meanwhile, Clark, a University of New Hampshire graduate, had landed his first job as a technician at Nike's research lab in Exeter, N.H.—since relocated to Portland, Ore. Clark learned the fundamentals of shoe design, every stitch and seam, and how it affects the wearer's performance and comfort.